"Sometimes the longest moments of your life are the seconds before the world discovers what you are truly capable of."
Kiekie's POV
There were three judges at the competition.
One of them was a woman.
The moment I noticed that, I did a small happy African dance in my head.
At least I wasn't completely alone.
The first judge stood up and introduced the program.
First Judge:
"Today we are gathered here for the District Periodic Competition. I hope you will all listen carefully and learn from this competition."
The second judge leaned toward the microphone.
Second Judge:
"Joe!" — that was the first judge's name — "It's quite sad to see only one female participant. It must be very scary for her."
I knew exactly what he was trying to do.
He wanted to make me feel smaller than the boys.
Inferior.
But I kept my face calm.
The third judge immediately responded.
Third Judge:
"You can't say that, Mark."
She adjusted her glasses and looked directly at him.
"She is a brave person. Remember, I'm the only female judge here."
The room became quiet.
She then looked toward me.
"You all know that the Ambassador of the United States of America to Liberia arranged this competition to encourage more girls to study chemistry."
She smiled.
"McQueen McCarthy is a brilliant woman. We should appreciate her efforts in encouraging girls in Liberia."
Then she looked straight at me.
"Welcome, Miss Number Three. It's an honor to have you here."
(I was wearing number three.)
"I hope you become one of the winners today. Show these boys that girls are powerful."
Her smile widened.
"I believe you can make it to the National Competition."
I thanked her quietly.
From the corner of my cat-like eyes, I saw the boys rolling their eyes.
That only made me stand straighter.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••
The competition began.
The questions started quickly.
Elements.
Symbols.
Atomic numbers.
Mass numbers.
The room became silent except for pencils scratching paper and the judges' voices.
After the first round, four boys were eliminated.
That left six participants.
The second round began immediately.
More questions.
Harder ones.
My fingers tightened around my pen as I answered each question carefully.
When the second round ended, two more participants dropped out.
Only four of us remained.
For a moment, excitement rushed through me.
But I forced myself to calm down.
Not yet.
Cleo always says our thoughts are our greatest asset.
So I kept thinking positively.
The third round began.
Twenty-five minutes of intense questions.
Identify the element.
Spell the element.
Give the atomic number.
Give the mass number.
My mind raced through the periodic table like a train running at full speed.
Finally, the round ended.
The second judge spoke again.
Second Judge (Mark):
"I must admit I'm surprised that Number Three is still in the competition."
He looked at me for a moment.
"Let's hope she becomes one of the winners."
Something about the way he said it made my stomach tighten.
I felt like Mark hated me.
But why?
What had I ever done to him?
The third judge smiled slightly.
Third Judge:
"Mark, I told you she's brave and intelligent."
She leaned back in her chair.
"She's a female."
Her voice carried quiet pride.
"And we are powerful."
She paused.
"Unlike…"
She left the sentence hanging in the air.
I knew she was warning him.
The first judge quickly interrupted.
First Judge:
"Alright, that's enough. We are here for a competition, not an argument."
He looked at the audience.
"The results will be announced in five minutes."
Keke: "Cleo… during those five minutes my heart almost jumped out of my mouth."
"My heartbeat was racing so fast I thought I was about to have a heart attack."
Narrator: "I knew you were nervous that day."
"But after the second round I could see your Alpha spirit waking up."
"You were so nervous your big cat eyes behind those glasses were popping out like clocks."
"I was scared too."
Keke:
"Shhh! Don't rush the story!"
Narrator:
"Okie, Your Royal Highness."
Those five minutes felt like forever.
The clock on the wall seemed to stop moving.
Each second dragged slowly.
It didn't feel like five minutes.
It felt like five centuries.
Finally, the second judge stood up again.
Second Judge (Mark):
"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for patiently waiting."
"We were fortunate to have three winners today."
He opened the envelope.
Then he paused.
For five seconds.
I swear I felt my heart drop straight into my stomach.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Cleo close her eyes and take a deep breath.
And in that moment…
I stopped breathing too.